The Wicked, Miserable, Non-Rent Paying Phantom of the Opera
by GhostAdventuresLover17
Summary: Select characters from Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and Rent are all put together and have to interact with each other. Inspired by the question, "If certain characters from certain musicals were put into a locked room with no way out, what would they talk about?" I don't own the characters! Enjoy! Rated for slight language and some adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_There's a large, window-less room with a wooden floor and white walls, with no furniture. The room contains nothing but two men and two women. Both of the men and one of the women have white skin. The other woman has emerald green skin… The four range in various ages. One of the men looks to be about sixty or so, and the other man looks to be in his thirties. The woman with green skin looks to be about nineteen, and the other woman looks to be in her early to mid twenties. Both women have long, dark, curly hair, but the woman with green skin has black hair, and the other woman has brown hair. The older man has short, gray hair, and the beginnings of a gray beard, and the younger man has short, brown hair. The woman with green skin is wearing a long, long-sleeved, black dress, and black boots. A tall, black witch hat is lying on the floor near her, and it looks like it somehow fell off her head. The other woman is wearing an orange and black tank top, long, black skinny jeans with a silver belt, and tall, black boots. The younger man is wearing a long-sleeved, black shirt, long, black slacks, tall, black boots, and a long, black cape. A white mask covers the right side of his face… The older man is wearing a long-sleeved, white, button-up shirt with a collar and cuffs, long, black slacks, and tall, black boots. The four slowly stir and open their eyes… The woman with green skin has emerald green eyes, the other woman has brown eyes, the older man has blue eyes, and the younger man has brown eyes. On seeing each other, they all stand up hurriedly and retreat into separate corners. They stare at each other in frightened silence for several seconds, and then the green-skinned woman breaks the silence…_

"W-Who are you guys?" she whispered, her eyes darting from face to face. The others were silent for several seconds, no one wanting to come forward and introduce themselves. Finally, the other woman stepped forward and said quietly, "My name's Maureen Johnson." She looked at the green girl and extended her right hand. The woman met Maureen's gaze, which was curious, but gentle. The woman was trembling as she came forward, and extended her left hand, which was shaking. Maureen smiled warmly, and shook her hand. "What's your name?" she asked. "Elphaba Thropp." "Elphaba." Maureen said softly, trying out the name. It felt strange in her mouth, but it suited this very different, unique woman. "Maureen." Elphaba said quietly. The name felt funny in her mouth too, but it suited Maureen. The two women smiled at each other. Off to the side, and sort of behind them, the older man cleared his throat. Maureen turned around, and Elphaba looked over Maureen's shoulder. The man stood forward and said, "My name is Jean Valjean. But I go by Valjean." Valjean and extended his hand and walked over to Elphaba and Maureen. The two girls shook his hand, smiled at him, and said, "It's nice to meet you Valjean!" He smiled back and said, "It's nice to meet you girls too!" They all turned, and looked at the man in the mask, who was watching the rounds of greetings in silence. "What's your name?" Elphaba asked gently. The man hesitated for a second or two, but then came forward with an out-stretched hand. "I'm Erik Destler." Erik shook hands with Maureen, Elphaba, and Valjean, and they shook hands with him too. The four were silent again, and then Elphaba asked, "So you guys aren't repulsed by my skin?" She sounded shocked. The others shook their heads. "It's not that ugly." Erik said quietly. Elphaba beamed at him, and he smiled back and blushed. "As God's children," Valjean said. "It's not our place to judge each other at all, but especially not by outward appearances." Elphaba nodded and smiled at him, and he smiled back at her, took her hand in his, and squeezed it gently. Then Elphaba turned to Maureen. "What about you Maureen?" Maureen laughed gently, and the sound was like a little bunch of bells ringing. It made Elphaba smile. "Honey," Maureen said, turning and taking a few steps away from them, and then turning back to the other three. "Where I'm from, I've seen more repulsive things than someone with your skin color!" "Where are you from, Maureen?" Valjean asked. "New York City." Erik and Valjean both nodded, but Elphaba looked puzzled. "_Where_ are you from?" she asked. Maureen shot her a puzzled look. "I'm from New York City." "Where is _that_?" "New York State. In the United States of America." Elphaba looked even more puzzled. "Where are _you_ from?" Maureen asked her. "I'm from Oz." Maureen looked surprised. "You mean that fictitious land from 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'!?" Elphaba looked insulted. "Oz is _not_ a fictional place! But, yes, that's where I live." Turning to Erik and Valjean she asked, "Where do you two live?" "I live in Paris, France." Erik replied. "Really?" Valjean asked, turning to look at him. "Yes. Why?" "I live in France too." "Really?" Valjean nodded. "Ooh!" Maureen said, smirking slightly. "You guys are from the same country, and you didn't know it!" "Apparently." Erik agreed. "Erik," Elphaba said quietly. Erik turned back to her. "Yes?" "Why do you wear that mask?" Erik looked slightly frightened, and he hesitated for several seconds. Then he sighed and said, "Do you all promise not to scream?" They all nodded. Erik closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly pulled his mask off… He heard them all gasp, but no one screamed. "Oh Erik!" Elphaba whispered, her voice full of empathy. The right side of Erik's face was deformed. The skin was pink and raw, like he'd received a third-degree burn… "Holy shit Erik!" Maureen said. "What the hell happened to you?" Erik opened his eyes and looked at Maureen. "I was born like this." he said quietly. "Everyone I've ever known has hated me for it." "What about your family?" Maureen asked. "My father left before I was born. My mother hated me. She bought me my first mask when I was four so she wouldn't have to look at me. And then when I was five she sold me to a band of gypsies, who beat me and tortured me…" "Oh my God…" Elphaba whispered. "I'm so sorry Erik!" Maureen whispered. Erik shrugged. "It's okay. You get used to it." "I know how you feel…" Elphaba said quietly. "You do?" Elphaba nodded. "My mother died when she gave birth to my sister, and my father hated me because of my skin. The only people that have ever been truly kind to me are my best friend, Glinda Upland, my lover, Fiyero Tiggular, and my sister, Nessa… Oh, and my college history professor, Dr. Dillamond, who was a goat… But that's it…" "Your college history professor was a goat?" Maureen asked incredulously. Elphaba nodded. "At least he was until he was stripped of his rights and arrested… That's why everyone in Oz hates me. I rebelled against the government and fought to save the remaining animals in Oz. Everyone thinks I'm a wicked witch now…" "I've fought for justice before too." Maureen said. "You have?" Maureen nodded. "One of my ex-boyfriends, Benjamin Coffin III, tried to evict a whole section of people form their homes in New York City, and I held a protest to try to stop him." "Did it work?" Maureen shook her head, and her eyes flashed angrily. "No. Benjamin called the cops and ruined my show and had lots of people arrested… The little fuck!" "I'm sorry Maureen!" Elphaba said. "It's alright. I got him back when my friends and I and ran into him at dinner that night!" She smirked again. "You said Benjamin was _one_ of your ex-boyfriends?" Valjean asked. Maureen nodded. "I've got two exes back in NYC. There's Benjamin, who we all actually call Benny, and then there's Mark Cohen. And I'm dating a woman named Joanne Jefferson." All three pairs of eyes widened at Maureen's final statement. "What?" Maureen asked. "You're dating a _girl_?" Elphaba asked, the shock she felt very much evident in her voice. "Yeah. So?" "How is that legal?" Erik asked. "What?" Maureen asked. "Haven't you guys ever heard of homosexuality?" Elphaba, Erik, and Valjean exchanged glances. "What's homosexuality?" Valjean asked. Maureen looked at them like they were completely crazy. "Homosexuality is when two girls are in love, or when two guys are in love. You guys have never really heard of that before?" They all shook their heads, their eyes wide. "Jesus Christ!" Maureen said. "That's new! I have three friends who are gay, and one of them is a drag queen!" "What's a drag queen?" Elphaba asked. "A drag queen is a man who likes to dress like a woman. My friend Angel Dumott Schunard is like that. He wears girly shirts, boots, and jackets, wears a wig to make his hair seem longer, wears short skirts, and wears leggings. He actually makes a pretty hot girl!" Maureen smirked again. "Which of your friends are gay?" Erik asked. "Angel, his lover, Tom Collins, and Joanne." "How many friends do you have back in New York City?" "Six. There's Joanne, Angel, Collins, and Mark. And then there's Mark's roommate, Roger Davis, and his girlfriend, Mimi Márquez." "You're lucky Maureen!" The words came out very quietly, and Erik looked sad. "Do you not have _any_ friends?" Elphaba asked. She was horrified. "I do." Erik said quietly. "But I hardly ever get to see them… And I have more people surrounding me that hate me than love me…" He trailed off bitterly. "Who do you have that loves you?" Maureen asked. "I have Antoinette Giry, the woman who rescued me from the gypsies, her daughter Meg, and a young Opera singer that I'm in love with, named Christine Daae. However, even though Christine cares about me, she chose her childhood sweetheart, Raoul de Chagny, over me… And Raoul hates me… I live at the Paris Opera House, in the cellars, and the two managers of the Opera House, Andre Moncharmin and Firmin Richard hate me… The lead singer, Carlotta Giudicelli, and her lover, Ubaldo Piangi, hate me… And the vile man who works backstage at the Opera House hates me too…" "I'm sorry Erik!" Elphaba said gently. Erik shrugged. "It's alright." "Why do so many people hate us?" Valjean asked. Erik turned to look at him. "So people don't like you either?" Valjean sighed and shook his head. "No. I've been on the run from a police inspector named Javert for several years because I broke my parole after I got out of jail. I was in jail for nineteen years because I stole a loaf of bread for my sister's child, who was starving to death, and then I tried to escape several times. I'm also hated by a man named Thénardier, and his wife, because I rescued my adopted daughter, Cosette, from their cruel treatment of her. There's a actually only four people who really care about me. My daughter, Cosette, her mother, Fantine, Cosette's husband, Marius Pontmercy, and a kindly Bishop I met when I was let out of jail. But almost everyone else hates me…" His tone was bitter, and he sounded sad. "I'm sorry Valjean!" Erik said quietly. "Thank you for your concern." Valjean said softly, managing a weak smile. The other three smiled back at him. Elphaba, Erik, Maureen, and Valjean were now standing close together in a small circle in the center of the room. Elphaba put her left arm around Erik, and her right arm around Maureen. Erik put his right arm around Elphaba, and his left arm around Valjean. Valjean put his right arm around Erik, and his left arm around Maureen. And Maureen put he right arm around Valjean, and her left arm around Elphaba. They stood there like that for several minutes, just hugging each other tightly. But before they could pull away, everything suddenly went black, and they were each whisked away to their own homes and lives…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_We see the same room that we saw before. It's exactly like it was before, except now there's five women in the room. There's one woman lying on the floor, unconscious, in each corner of the room. The fifth woman is sitting in a wheelchair in the center of room, also unconscious. Three of the women have white skin, and the other two women have caramel-colored skin. The girl in the wheelchair looks to be about eighteen. One of the girls with dark skin looks to be about nineteen, and the other girl with dark skin looks to be about twenty or so. The two dark-skinned women are lying in the lower left and right-hand corners of the room. In the upper left-hand corner of the room is a girl who looks to be about eighteen. And in the fourth corner is a girl who looks to be about eighteen as well. All five girls are very beautiful. The girl in the wheelchair has long, curly, brown hair. She's wearing a long, short-sleeved pink dress, and pink sandals. The girl in the lower left-hand corner of the room has long, curly, black hair. She's wearing a short, sleeve-less, low-cut, black dress with a black belt with a silver buckle. She's wearing two bracelets (one on each wrist), and earrings. She has on a black collar, and black tights. Her arms are covered by fabric designed to look like sleeves. And to complete her outfit, she's wearing tall, black boots. The girl in the lower, right-hand corner of the room has short, curly, black hair. She's wearing a long-sleeved, black turtleneck, long, brown jeans, black boots (that are almost completely covered by her jeans), and a long-sleeved, dark tan jacket with white fur on the inside, and on the collar and cuffs. The girl in the upper, left-hand corner of the room has short, straight, brown hair. Lying near her is a tan cap that looks like something a newsboy would have worn. She's wearing a short-sleeved, white shirt, a light tan skirt, a brown belt, a long, dark tan overcoat with lapels that ties in the front at her waist, and brown, flat-soled shoes. And the fifth woman has long, honey-colored hair that's pulled back into a long pony-tail, and she's very slender. She's wearing a short, sleeve-less, white dress, and white ballet slippers. The five slowly start to stir, and then open their eyes... The girl in the wheelchair has light blue eyes, the girl in the lower, and the other four girls have brown eyes. They all freeze, and then the girl in the lower, right-hand corner runs across the room to the girl in the left-hand corner. They grab each other's hands, and it becomes apparent that they know each other. Meanwhile, the girl in the wheelchair, wheels herself into the now vacant corner. They stare at each other in fear for several more seconds, and then the girl who had abandoned her corner breaks the silence…_

"Mimi?" she whispered. The girl next to her replied, "Yes, Joanne?" "What the hell happened to us? Where the fuck are we?" "I have no idea, Joanne." Addressing the other girls, "Who are all of you?" The girl in the wheelchair wheeled herself half-way across the room, towards Mimi and Joanne, and extended her right hand. "I'm Nessarose Thropp," she said quietly. "Although, everyone calls me Nessa. Who are you?" Mimi walked over to her, extended her right hand, and shook Nessa's hand. "I'm Mimi Márquez." she said. Then she half-turned and gestured towards Joanne. "And that's Joanne Jefferson." Nessa nodded. "So you two know each other?" Mimi nodded. "Yeah. We're friends." Nessa nodded again and smiled. And then she said, "It's nice to meet you, Mimi!" "It's nice to meet you too, Nessa!" "And you as well Joanne!" Joanne smiled, came forward, shook Nessa's hand, and replied, "It's nice to meet you Nessa." They all the turned to the other two girls, who had been watching the whole exchange in silence, and who hadn't moved from their corners. Mimi moved out to the center of the room, but Joanne and Nessa stayed put, watching her. Mimi glanced at each girl, and then said, "Who are you guys? What are your names?" The girl on her right stepped forward and said, "I'm Meg Giry." Meg went over to Mimi and extended her right hand. Mimi smiled, took Meg's hand in he right hand, and shook hands with her. "It's nice to meet you Meg!" she said. "It's nice to meet you too Mimi!" Nessa and Joanne came forward then, and they both shook hands with Meg. "It's nice to meet you Meg!" they said. "It's nice to meet you girls too!" They all smiled at each other, and then turned as the fifth girl came over to them. She extended her hand to Mimi and said, "My name's Eponine Thénardier." They all shook hands again, and then an awkward silence followed. Mimi broke the silence when she asked, "Does anyone care if I smoke?" They all shook their heads, and Mimi turned to Joanne, who pulled out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket. She took one of the cigarettes and handed it to Mimi, lit it for her, and then put the lighter and the cigarettes back in her pocket. Mimi inhaled deeply, took the cigarette out of her mouth, and then exhaled a cloud of foul-smelling smoke. They were silent again, and then Mimi said, "What's wrong, Eponine?" The other three looked at her, and they saw that she had tears in her eyes. Eponine shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm just fine." She tried to smile, but couldn't. Nessa slowly wheeled herself over to her and took Eponine's hand. "We're not going to judge you Eponine!" Nessa said gently. "Tell us what's bothering you!" Eponine took a deep breath and folded her arms across her chest. She was silent for several minutes. Finally she said in a voice choked with tears, "It's Marius." Pain shot through Eponine as she said his name. She bit her lip to hold back the sob that was dying to escape, as tears filled her eyes once more. "Who's Marius?" Meg asked quietly. "He's the man I'm in love with. But he's married to a very pretty, very rich girl named Cosette… I've been in love with Marius for several years now, but he never notices me. And I've never told him. I've never told anyone before. And, as crazy as this might seem, I actually helped him be with Cosette… I showed him where she lived so he could meet with her and talk to her… It killed me inside, but he was happy…" "Why would you do that?" Mimi asked. Eponine stared at her with tear-filled eyes and a set jaw. "I did it because I knew he and Cosette loved each other, and because I wanted him to be happy." "But that doesn't make any sense! Why would you willingly let him go?" "Because," Meg said quietly. "sometimes if you really, truly love someone, you have to find the strength inside of you to let them go, even if it kills you…" Meg's voice was thick, and her eyes were glistening with tears. The other four were staring at her. "Who have you had to let go of Meg?" Eponine asked quietly. "His name was Erik Destler…" Meg's voice caught in her throat, and her eyes filled with tears. "What was he like?" Meg smiled. "He was sweet and kind and gentle and handsome. Half of his face was deformed, but that never mattered. He had a hasty temper sometimes too, but he would usually calm down if you were patient and firm with him. And gentle too. I loved him for years, and I always hoped he would help me become a star at the Opera Populaire in Paris, France, but then he fell in love with Christine Daae, who was my best fiend, and all my hopes were shattered… He coached her instead, and everything he did, he did for her… I managed to hide my feelings, and I didn't hate Christine. But I was lonely and miserable, and I missed Erik so much! I used to cry alone in my room at night… Wishing he would come to me… And then I found out that Christine had chosen her childhood sweetheart, Raoul de Chagny, over Erik… I was furious, and I cried bitterly. And then I found out that Raoul was planning to have Erik killed…" Meg's voice hardened with anger, although she still had tears streaming down her face. Eponine gasped and put her hands over her mouth, and Mimi, Nessa, and Joanne's eyes widened. "Was he killed?" Nessa asked in a whisper. Meg shook her head. "No. He let Christine go off with Raoul, and he escaped. I was so grateful, but it's been so hard… Living without him… And having to hide everything…" Meg was hugging herself when she finished, and she was sobbing quietly. Mimi walked over to Meg and gently laid her right hand on her left shoulder. "I know how you feel Meg." she said quietly. Meg turned to look at her. "You do?" Mimi nodded. "I've learned to live without the man I love, but I miss him so much that it feels more like a physical pain than just an emotional pain…" Mimi turned and walked a little ways away from them, tears welling up in her eyes. Joanne gently reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Roger loves you Mimi! He's just scared!" Mimi whirled around. "Of what? What could he possibly be afraid of?" Joanne sighed and gently took both of Mimi's hands in her's. Then she said, "Roger never told you this, but April committed suicide. Roger is afraid of losing you and getting hurt. That's why he pushes you away all the time. I'm so sorry!" "Why didn't he ever tell me? I would have understood! And it would have been better than believing that he hates me!" Joanne shook her head. "I don't know why he never told you…" Mimi turned away from Joanne, a completely broken expression on her face. "Who's Roger?" Nessa asked, looking at Mimi with gentle but curious eyes. "He's my ex-boyfriend. I met him one night when I needed some matches to light a candle with. He composes songs, and he's really handsome. I knew he loved me, but he always pushed me away, and he stopped telling me that he loved me… And then when one of met ex-lovers evicted Roger and his roommate, Mark, from their apartment, I went out to dinner with my ex-lover and convinced him to let Roger start living in his apartment again. It worked, but Roger wouldn't believe me when I told him that nothing had happened, and that I hadn't cheated on him… Roger left me, and I haven't seen him in months… I just wish I could see him at least one more time and tell him that I still love him!" Mimi's voice was choked with tears, and her whole body shook with sobs. Nessa slowly wheeled herself over to Mimi and gently laid her hand on her shoulder. Mimi turned to look at her. "I know how you feel Mimi." Nessa said quietly. "The boy I loved was cold and distant from me, even though he had once acted as though he loved me…" "What was his name?" Mimi asked. "His name was Boq. He was a really sweet boy that I met in college, and who took me to an all-school dance. He told me I was beautiful, and that he loved me. I told him I loved him too. And I did love him…" Tears filled Nessa's eyes, and her voice was thick. She continued quietly, "I thought we would be together forever, but I guess not… He told me one night that he loved Glinda Upland, a very beautiful, very popular girl who was a friend of my sister's friends in college, and then he left… And I haven't seen him in months… I miss him so much, and I know I'll always love him!" Tears were rolling slowly down Nessa's face when she finished, and Eponine, Meg, and Mimi were crying with her and for her. Then, at the same moment, they all turned to Joanne, and Nessa said, "What's your story Joanne?" Joanne hesitated, glancing nervously between the four faces that stared back at her, curiosity burning in four pairs of eyes. Joanne stayed silent for several minutes. Finally Mimi said gently, "It's okay Joanne! They're not going to judge you! Tell them about you and Maureen." "Who's Maureen?" Eponine asked. Joanne sighed sadly. "Maureen is my ex-girlfriend, _and_ my ex-fiancé…" "Wait a minute!" Meg said. "You had a _girlfriend_!?" Joanne nodded. Nessa and Meg gaped at her. Only Eponine and Mimi weren't surprised. "You're not shocked?" Joanne asked, looking at Eponine. Eponine shook her head. "No, I'm not. I see same-sex couples making out and making love in the streets all the time." "You live on the streets?" Mimi asked. Eponine shook her head. "No. But I _am_ a prostitute." Nessa, Meg, and Joanne all looked shocked, but Mimi only smirked. "I feel you there, sister! Back home, I work nights at a strip club!" Eponine smiled slightly, and Mimi winked at her. Joanne cleared her throat, and they all turned back to her. "So anyway," she said quietly, continuing her story. "Maureen and I dated for a few months, and I thought she loved me. I know I loved her… But then I started noticing that she would always flirt with other people… I asked her to stay committed to me, which she promised to do, and we got engaged. But then I realized that she would never stay truly faithful, so we broke it off… I know she was totally wrong for me, but I still love her so much! And I miss her!" Joanne was crying when she finished her story, and Nessa, Meg, Eponine, and Mimi were all crying with her and for her. "Oh Marius!" Eponine sobbed. "Oh Erik!" "Oh Roger!" "Oh Boq!" "Oh Maureen!" All five girls hugged each other tightly, sobbing for themselves, sobbing for each other, and sobbing for the people they loved… Then, suddenly, everything went black, and each of them were whisked away, back to their own tragic love stories…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_It's the same, old, boring room we've seen twice now, but now it contains five men, a goat, and four women. One of them men and the goat and one of the women are lying unconscious in the lower, left-hand corner of the room. Another two of the men and another of the women are lying unconscious in the lower, right-hand corner of the room. The remaining two men and women are laying side-by-side against the back wall. The two people and the goat in the lower, left-hand corner look to be in their fifties. In the opposite corner, the three also look to be in their fifties. One man by the back wall looks to be in his sixties, the other man and one of the woman look to be in their fifties, and the other woman looks to be in her twenties or thirties. The man in the lower, left-hand corner is wearing black-framed glasses, a gray, pin-striped suit, gray dress shoes, and a gray overcoat. He's bald in the center of his head, but he has gray hair around then edge of his hairline. And he has a gray mustache. A gray top hat is lying on the floor next to him. The goat has, short, curly, blonde hair, horns, and black hooves. He's wearing a long-sleeved, dark brown shirt with a collar, a light brown, sleeve-less vest, and orange shawl, and brown slacks. The woman with them has short, curly, blonde hair, and she had on lots and lots of make-up. She's wearing a long, long-sleeved, red robe with a collar and full sleeves, and black boots (which are completely covered by her robe). The woman in the opposite corner has long, honey-colored hair that's pulled back into a long braid. She has on a long, long-sleeved, black dress, and black boots, which are hidden by her dress. The man on her left has short, black hair with streaks of gray in it, and a gray mustache. He's wearing a long-sleeved, white shirt with a collar, a red tie, a sleeve-less, red vets, a maroon evening jacket with a collar and lapels, long, maroon slacks, and black dress shoes. The other man has short, gray hair and a gray mustache. He's wearing a long-sleeved, white dress shirt with a collar, a dark brown, long-sleeved evening jacket with lapels, long, dark brown slacks, and black dress shoes. The older man in the back has short, slightly curly, brown hair, and brown side-burns. He's wearing a long, long-sleeved, dark blue robe, and black boots that are covered by his robe. The woman on his right has long, curly, blonde hair. She's wearing a long, gray dress with long, puffy sleeves, a gray collar that goes around her neck and has a jewel on it, and black boots that are hidden by her dress. On her right is the other woman. She has long, blonde hair that's pulled back into a messy bun. She's wearing a long, long-sleeved, blue dress with white around the neck and on the cuffs, a white apron that ties around her waist, and gray shoes that her dress hides. And on her right is the last man. He has short, blonde hair. And he's wearing a long-sleeved, gray shirt, a gold apron, a long-sleeved, dark blue military jacket with lapels and silver buttons, a red cravat, a short, tan kilt, long, white socks, and gray shoes. A peaked red and blue hat is lying on the floor next to him. The ten people slowly start to revive and open their eyes… The woman in the lower, left-hand corner has blue eyes, the man with her also has blue eyes, and the goat has brown eyes. The woman in the opposite corner has brown eyes, as does the man with gray and black hair. But the other man has gray eyes. The older man in the back has brown eyes, the woman next to him has brown eyes, the woman next to her has brown eyes, and the man next to _her_ has brown eyes. The three groups huddle together in their respective corners, and it becomes apparent that the people in each group know each other. The three groups stare at each other in shock for several seconds, and then the man in the lower, left-hand corner break the silence…_

"Who are you all?" he asked, looking at the other two groups. No one spoke for several minutes. But then the woman in the other corner came forward, brushing her long braid back behind her left shoulder with her left hand. Then she extended her right hand and said in a very thick French accent, "My name is Madame Antoinette Giry." The man went over to her and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Madame. I've only gone by one name for several years: The Wizard." "The Wizard… It's certainly a very interesting, unique name!" "Thank you Madame!" Madame Giry bowed her head. Then she turned and gestured to the two men behind her. "This is Andre Moncharmin," The man in the brown evening jacket came forward. "And this is Firmin Richard." The other man came forward. Andre and Firmin shook hands with The Wizard, and they greeted each other warmly and politely. Then The Wizard turned and gestured to the woman and goat behind him. "This is Madame Morrible." The woman stepped forward. "And this is Dr. Dillamond." The goat stepped forward. Madame Morrible and Dr. Dillamond shook hands with Firmin, Andre, and Madame Giry, and they exchanged greetings. "It's really nice to meet you all!" Madame Giry said quietly, and Firmin and Andre nodded in agreement. "And it's an honor to meet you all!" The Wizard replied. Behind him, Dr. Dillamond and Madame Morrible nodded in agreement. Then the group of six turned to the other four, who were watching them silently, but intently. The Wizard and Madame Giry both stepped forward this time. "Who are you guys?" The Wizard asked. Several minutes passed, and not one of the four stepped forward. They just exchanged glances with each other, and glanced anxiously at the other six. Then Madame Giry said gently, "It's alright guys. We're not going to hurt you!" There was another stretch of silence. But then, finally, the woman in the gray dress stepped forward. She drew herself up to her full height, set her jaw, and said firmly, "My name's Fantine." The Wizard and Madame Giry both smiled, walked over to Fantine, and extended their hands. Fantine shook hands with The Wizard and Madame Giry, and then shook hands with Andre, Firmin, Madame Morrible and Dr. Dillamond (who had all come up behind Madame Giry and The Wizard). Then the older man came up to stand beside Fantine. "Who are you?" Firmin asked. The man replied, "I'm the Bishop of Digne." They all shook hands again, and then they turned to the couple still standing against the wall. "Who are you two?" The Wizard asked. Fantine turned to them and said, "It's okay guys. Come on and introduce yourselves." The two looked at each other, and then stepped forward. The man said, "My name is Thénardier, and this is my wife." Thénardier and Madame Thénardier shook hands with everyone else, and then another silence fell over the group. Finally Fantine turned to Madame Thénardier and asked, "How's Cosette? Is she feeling better?" Madame Thénardier nodded. "She's feeling better. But you still owe us for all the medicine." Beside her, her husband nodded. Fantine nodded. "Alright. I'll pay you as soon as I can! How much do I owe you?" Thénardier and Madame Thénardier looked at each other, and then back at Fantine. Then Thénardier said, "You owe us 1500 francs." Fantine took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well. I'll pay you as soon as I have the money! And thank you for taking care of Cosette! I'm sorry she was so ill so often!" Madame Thénardier smiled at her (although it looked more like a grimace), and the said, "It's alright dear! She was no trouble! And we did what we could to take care of her, and try to keep her from getting sick." Fantine nodded. "I'll be forever grateful to you both for what you've done!" Thénardier and Madame Thénardier smiled at her. The others watched this exchange in silence. But finally Madame Giry broke in. She asked Fantine, "Who's Cosette?" "Cosette is my daughter. Her father abandoned us, and so I left her with the Thénardiers while I went to find work, and raise money to support us both." Madame Giry nodded. "So you have a daughter." Fantine nodded. Madame Giry smiled. "So do I." "Really?" Madame Giry nodded. "Yes. Her name's Meg. She's eighteen. Her father died several years ago, and Meg and I went to work at the Paris Opera House. Meg's now one of the star ballerinas, and I teach the ballerinas. Plus, we have a girl named Christine Daae, who lost both of her parents, and who I think of as my daughter." "And both Christine and Meg are talented performers!" Firmin said. Andre nodded. Madame Giry tried to hide it, but she smiled slightly with pride. "So you two have daughters?" The Wizard asked, looking at Madame Giry and Fantine. They both nodded. "Do you?" Madame Thénardier asked. The Wizard nodded. "Yes, I do. Her name's Elphaba." Madame Morrible said, "She was one of my students at Shiz University. She was a very smart, talented girl!" "Very kind too." Dr. Dillamond commented. "Were you close to her, Doctor?" The Bishop asked. Dr. Dillamond nodded. "Yes I was. She and I got along from the very beginning. Some of my other students, although I never knew who, played a very cruel trick on me, and Miss Elphaba stood up for me. And then she stayed after class and talked to me about it, and shared her lunch with me… She was the only one of my students who was ever truly kind to me…" Dr. Dillamond trailed off quietly. He sounded very sad. Madame Morrible gently squeezed his shoulder, and he managed a weak smile. "What was the trick they played on you?" Madame Giry asked. "Someone wrote, 'Animals should be seen and not heard' on my blackboard…" They all gasped, and Madame Giry put her hands over her mouth. "I'm so sorry Doctor!" Fantine said. "It's alright Miss Fantine." They were all silent again, thinking about the cruelty and horror of such a trick. Then Firmin said, "Where are you all from?" The Wizard replied, "I was originally from Kansas, but I've lived in Oz for twenty years now. So it's my home." "Dr. Dillamond and I are originally from Oz." Madame Morrible said. "Where are you all from?" "We're all from Paris." Madame Giry replied. "Where are you from?" Fantine replied, "We're all from France too." "That's interesting!" Madame Giry said. Fantine nodded in agreement. "Yes it is." "What did you do for work, Fantine?" The Bishop asked. Fantine hesitated. Then she said, "I worked as a factory girl for the mayor of the town that I lived in. But his foreman dismissed me when he found out about Cosette…" "What was the mayor's name?" "Monsieur Madeleine. Why?" The Bishop chuckled slightly and smiled. "What?" Fantine asked. "That wasn't his real name." Fantine gave him a very puzzled look. "What do you mean that wasn't his real name? How could it not be?" "It was a pseudonym. The man's real name was Jean Valjean." Fantine gasped, and her eyes widened in horror. "Who's Jean Valjean?" Andre asked. "And was he a bad man?" The Bishop shook his head. "No, he wasn't. He went to prison for five years for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister's child, who was starving to death. And he earned another fourteen years for trying to escape so many times. And then when he was finally let out, I let him stay with me. He tried to steal two silver candlesticks from me, but he was caught and brought back to me. I lied and said that I had given them to him as a gift, and then made him promise to follow God and become an honest man, which he did." "So you basically gave him another chance at life?" Madame Giry said quietly. The Bishop nodded. "I suppose you could say that, yes. Why?" "Because I know how it feels." Madame Giry said quietly. "I've done that too." "Really? Who did you give another chance to?" "His name was Erik Destler. I met him when we were both young. I was studying to be a ballerina then, and a band of gypsies came to Paris from the East, and they had a fair. And one of the more popular exhibits was 'The Devil's Child'. It was a boy my age, but he was locked in a wooden cage that was filled with straw. He had a deformed face… The skin on the entire right side of his face was pink and raw… The gypsies were beating him… Torturing him… Cursing at him…" Madame Giry paused. She was choked up, and there were tears in her eyes. Once she had regained control of herself, she continued. "I helped him escape, and then I hid him in the cellars of the Paris Opera House. He's lived there ever since, and it's his home now." Firmin and Andre gaped at Madame Giry. "Wait a minute!" Andre said. "So does that mean…?" Madame Giry smirked and nodded. "Erik is the Opera Ghost. And he's the one who's been coaching Christine. He's very talented Monsieurs! He can sing and play piano. He's an architect and designer. He's a composer and a magician. He's a genius!" Andre and Firmin were completely speechless. But finally Andre said, "So you're friends with the Opera Ghost Madame Giry!? And I suppose you've been helping him concoct all his little schemes?" "Yes and no, Monsieur." Madame Giry replied. "I'm Erik's friend, yes. However, I haven't helped him with his plans. He gives me orders, and I make sure that they're carried out. But that's the extent of it." "What kind of 'schemes' does he have?" The Wizard asked. Firmin replied angrily before Madame Giry could speak. "He's been sabotaging the career of our lead soprano, and trying to get am amateur to take her place!" Madame Giry glared at him coldly. "Christine is _not_ an amateur! She's been learning from Erik, who is the best teacher she could have!" Firmin let out an exasperated sigh. "We ought to fire you Madame Giry!" Madame Giry laughed. "You can't fire me!" "And why would you if this girl is good?" Thénardier asked. "If she's putting money in your pocket, keep her!" Madame Thénardier nodded in agreement. "And if she's a sweet girl…" Fantine said. Madame Giry grinned triumphantly and turned to Firmin and Andre. "You see gentlemen? As I've told you a thousand times before, Christine is much better than Carlotta! She's also younger and kinder, and she sounds better! And she's prettier, and not as high maintenance! _And_ she and the Vicomte are in love!" Andre and Firmin just grunted. Madame Giry smiled, knowing she had won. There was another long stretch of silence. Then The Wizard said, "Wow! I know I've only known most of you for a short time, but I feel like I've known you all for years!" "I know!" Madame Giry said quietly. "I agree!" Fantine said softly. The others nodded in agreement. "It's weird how that happens." Dr. Dillamond said quietly. The entire group smiled at each other. They were all standing in a large group the middle of the room. The Wizard gently put his right arm around Madame Giry, and his left arm around Dr. Dillamond. Madame Giry put her right arm around Firmin, and her left arm around The Wizard. Firmin put his right arm around Andre, and his left arm around Madame Giry. Andre put his right arm around The Bishop, and his left arm around Firmin. The Bishop put his right arm around Fantine, and his left arm around Andre. Fantine put her right arm around Thénardier, and her left arm around The Bishop. Thénardier put his right arm around his wife, and his left arm around Fantine. Madame Thénardier put her right arm around Madame Morrible, and her left arm around her husband. Madame Morrible put her right arm around Dr. Dillamond, and her left arm around Madame Thénardier. And Dr. Dillamond put his right arm around The Wizard, and his left arm around Madame Morrible. They huddled close together for several minutes, but then, suddenly, everything went black, and they were all sent back to their own stories…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_It's that room again, except now it contains four women. There's one woman in each corner. Three of them have whose skin, and one of them has caramel-colored skin. The girl in the lower left-hand corner looks to be about nineteen, the girl in the upper, left-hand corner looks to be about eighteen, the girl in the upper, right-hand corner looks to be in her early twenties, and so does the girl in the lower, right-hand corner. The girl in the lower, left-hand corner has short, blonde hair that's pulled back into a tight bun. She's wearing a long, long-sleeved silver dress that only has a left sleeve, a flat, silver hat with a white feather attached to it, and silver high heels. The girl in the upper, left-hand corner has long, brown hair that's pulled back into a braid, and rosy cheeks. She's wearing a long, white dress with a full skirt and short, puffy sleeves that come down to the top of her arms, leaving her pale shoulders exposed, and white ballet slippers that are covered by her dress. The girl in the upper, right-hand corner has long, curly, brown hair. She's wearing a long, long-sleeved, black dress with a black belt, a white, lace shawl, and black boots, which are covered by her dress. And the girl in the lower, right-hand corner of the room has dark skin and short, black hair. She's wearing a long-sleeved, lime green shirt, a long-sleeved, red jacket with silver buttons, a short, white skirt with various-colored flowers on it, olive green leggings, and black high heels. The four women slowly revive and open their eyes… The girl in the lower, left-hand corner has blue eyes, and so do the girls in the upper, left and right-hand corners, and the girl in the lower, right-hand corner has brown eyes. The girls stare at each other for several seconds, and then the girl in the long, white dress breaks the silence… _

"Who are you guys?" she asked. Her blue eyes darted from face to face. Finally, the girl in the lower, right-hand corner stepped forward and extended her hand. "I'm Angel Dumott Schunard." Angel smiled gently at the other girl, who smiled back, stepped forward, shook Angel's hand, and said, "My name's Christine Daae." "It's nice to meet you Christine! I really like your dress!" Christine smiled again. "Thanks! You look pretty too!" Angel grinned. "Thanks!" To their right, the girl in the lower, left-hand corner stepped forward. She smiled at Christine and Angel, and they smiled back at her. "What's your name honey?" Angel asked. The girl extended her right hand, and said, "I'm Glinda Upland." She shook hands with Christine and Angel, and they shook hands with her. Then the three turned to the girl in the upper, right-hand corner. "And what about you honey?" Angel asked. "What's your name?" The girl came forward and extended her hand. "I'm Cosette Pontmercy." Cosette smiled and shook hands with Christine, Angel, and Glinda. "Where are you guys from?" Angel asked. "I'm from Oz." Glinda replied. "I'm from Paris, France." Christine said. "I'm from France too." Cosette said. "Where are you from Angel?" Christine asked. "New York City, New York." "You're from New York City!?" Christine asked excitedly, her blue eyes shining. Angel nodded. "Oh I've always wanted to go there!" Christine continued. "I sing in the Opera in Paris, and lately I've wanted to go to New York City and perform on Broadway!" Angel grinned. "It takes a lot of guts to go to New York City!" "What do you mean?" Christine's blue eyes were filled with curiosity as she looked at Angel. Angel answered, "New York City is a rough place. Murderers and prostitutes and every other group of horrible people you can imagine live there. There _are_ good people, but sometimes they're hard to find. You just have to be careful." "Paris can be pretty rough too sometimes, but maybe not that bad…" "Other parts of France can be that bad." Cosette said quietly. "What do you mean?" Glinda asked. Cosette closed her eyes. She was silent for several seconds. Then she said, "When I was a little girl, my mother couldn't afford to take care of me, so she left me with an innkeeper, his wife, and their daughter hoping that they would take care of me until she had enough money to come back for me…" "But they didn't." Christine said quietly. Cosette shook her head. "No. They didn't. They made me do all the household chores, and they barely fed me enough food to keep me alive. They wrote letters to my mother, lying to her, telling her that I was always ill, and asking her for money to buy me medicine. I was never ill, just dirty and hungry, and all the money went to pay off the couple's many debts. My mother worked at a factory that was owned by the mayor of the town that she lived in, until the foreman kicked her out because the other women who worked there were spreading jealous lies about her because they found out about me… She then lived on the streets, and became a prostitute just so she could earn money to send to me… She became grievously ill, and the mayor took pity on her after she told him about his foreman firing her. The mayor took her to a hospital and did what he could to care for her, but she died anyway…. After she died, the mayor came and rescued me from the Thénardiers, the couple I lived with, and adopted me. Like my mother asked him to before she died… He sent me to school, and he nursed me back to a healthy, young woman. I called him 'Papa', and we became very close. He was a very religious man, and he was very sweet and kind. I lived with him until I grew up and got married. Papa was sad to lose me, but he was also happy to see me married to a good man. And Marius, my husband, really _is_ a very sweet, king, gentle, loving person." Cosette paused and smiled gently, thinking about Marius. "Do you still see your father a lot?" Christine asked. Cosette nodded. "Yes. I go see him everyday, and I still ask him for advice about various things. I don't want him to feel like he's completely losing me!" Angel and Glinda both nodded. Christine looked sad. "What's wrong Christine?" Cosette asked. Christine shook her head. "You're lucky Cosette!" "What do you mean?" "Your father's still alive. And you two are still close." Cosette reached out and took Christine's hand. Christine looked at her with watery eyes. "Did you lose your father?" Cosette asked quietly. Christine closed her eyes and nodded, tears starting to slowly roll down her face. Cosette moved to stand directly beside Christine, and she put her arm around her. "Tell us about him." she said softly. Christine took a deep breath. Then she said, "I was born in Sweden, and I grew up with my father there. We were very poor, but we didn't care, as long as we had each other. He played the violin, and I sang. We traveled throughout Sweden, and put on little shows for people. But then, when I was very young, my father became ill, and he died…" Christine paused for a moment, trying to regain control of herself. Once she had, she continued. "After he died, I was taken to Paris by a sweet woman named Antoinette Giry. I became a ballerina, and then the star at the Opera Populaire in Paris. I often dreamed about my father, and I missed him terribly. I became friends with Madame Giry's daughter, Meg, and Madame Giry became like a surrogate mother to me. I also reconnected with my childhood sweetheart, Raoul de Chagny…" Christine smiled when she said Raoul's name, and her voice became very soft and gentle. "We fell in love all over again, and he eventually asked me to marry him. The only problem was that I was being coached by a man named Erik, although he was known by everyone else as the Opera Ghost. Erik gave me vocal lessons, and I became quite good. I became the new star, and everyone seemed pleased with me. But then Erik found out that I was in love with Raoul, and that I was engaged to him, and he was furious… I realized then that he loved me… Raoul wanted to capture and kill Erik, and he used me to lure him out into the open. But Erik knew about the plan, and he kidnapped me… He was going to force me to marry him, and if I didn't, he was going to kill Raoul… I finally convinced Erik to let us both go. And now Raoul and I are married and expecting a son." "Congratulations! And are you happy with Raoul?" Angel asked. Christine nodded. "Yes. He's wonderful!" "Do you ever miss Erik?" Glinda asked. "Sometimes." Christine admitted quietly. But mostly I just hope that he eventually found someone who really could genuinely love him…" They all nodded and looked at her sympathetically. "Do you ever wish that you had chosen Erik?" Glinda asked quietly. Christine considered this for several seconds. Then she said, "No. I was sad that I hurt Erik, but I love Raoul. I have since I was a little girl, and I know I always will." Glinda nodded, her blue eyes filled with tears. Angel moved over to her, put her left arm around Glinda's shoulders, and took her right hand in hers. Glinda looked at her. "Tell us about him, honey." Angel said gently. Glinda tried to smile, but failed. She closed her eyes for several seconds, not saying a word. Finally she said, "His name was Fiyero Tiggular. We met in college and fell in love. But after a while, I began to notice that he was distant from me, and that he was spending a lot of time with my best friend, Elphaba Thropp. Elphaba and I went to the Emerald City together, Oz's capital, and she wound up defying our leader and becoming a rebel and fighting for the rights of the remaining animals in Oz. She left to go to the outskirts of the country, saving the animals and creating quite a stir in Oz. In the meantime, Fiyero became the leader of the army in Oz, and I became a very popular figure among the people. They looked up to me for strength and encouragement and guidance. And about that time, Fiyero and I got engaged. However, on the night he and I got engaged, Elphaba came back to the Emerald City to confront The Wizard, our leader, one last time…" Here Glinda paused, too choked up to speak. After a few seconds, she continued. "Fiyero and Elphaba admitted that they loved each other, and they left together… I convinced The Wizard and his secretary, Madame Morrible, to use Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, to get to Elphaba. I was angry then, but I bitterly regretted what happened afterwards…" "What happened?" Cosette asked. "Madame Morrible conjured up a cyclone that killed Nessa…" Two tears spilled out of Glinda's eyes and rolled down her face. All three girls were looking at her in a mixture of horror, sadness, pity, and sympathy. Glinda continued with her story. "Elphaba and I met again at the spot where Nessa was killed. She was upset because Nessa was dead, and I was upset because I had lost Fiyero. We fought. And then The Wizard's guards showed up… They captured Elphaba, and she found out that I had told The Wizard and Madame Morrible about using Nessa to get to her. And Elphaba believed that I had intentionally had Nessa killed out of jealousy… I tried to tell her that that wasn't true, but she wouldn't believe me… And then Fiyero showed up… He threatened to kill me if they didn't let Elphaba go… It was a bluff, but it worked. Elphaba was freed, but the guards captured Fiyero… They took him out to a field and beat him, trying to get him to tell them where Elphaba had gone… I begged for his life, but they wouldn't listen… I was desperate, and I went to see Elphaba at Fiyero's castle, where they had been staying with a group of winged monkeys that Elphaba had freed on her last trip to the Emerald City. We were both still extremely angry, but then we found out that Fiyero was dead…" Glinda paused again, tears streaming down her face. Angel, Cosette, and Christine all gasped and hugged her. Glinda managed a weak smile, and then continued. "Elphaba decided then that she needed to surrender. She gave me her spell book, and made me promise to continue with her work in saving the animals, but to never try to clear her name… The Wizard's guards showed up then, and I hid myself and watched the fight… Elphaba was killed… All that was left of her was the tall, black witch hat that I had given her, and a little green bottle that had once belonged to her mother… I took the hat and the bottle, and I went back to see The Wizard. I found out then that he had been Elphaba's father, and I ordered him out of Oz. And then I had Madame Morrible arrested. And I took over Oz. I did what Elphaba asked me to do, and I brought peace to the entire country. I just wish that Elphaba and Fiyero could be with me…" Glinda was still crying when she finished, and Angel, Christine, and Cosette all hugged her again. Then Glinda, Christine, and Cosette all turned to look at Angel. "What's your story Angel?" Glinda asked. "I live in New York City with my boyfriend, Tom Collins. He's really sweet and kind and funny, and we love each other. I rescued him last Christmas Eve after he got mugged. He introduced me to two of his old roommates, Mark Cohen and Roger Davis. And then Roger introduced me to his new girlfriend, Mimi Márquez. And then Mark introduced me to his ex-girlfriend, Maureen Johnson, and her new girlfriend, Joanne Jefferson. We were all like a really close family, and we still are, but I'm especially close to Collins and Mimi. Collins and I both have AIDS, and so do Roger and Mimi. And that's one of the many things that brought Collins and I, and Mimi and I, together. I feel so lucky to have such amazing friends! Mimi was a girl who had been forced to lead a hard life, and who had adapted to that. She worked at a strip club, but I think, underneath all the indifference and pretending to not love anyone, she just wanted love and loyal friends. We all gave her friendship, and Roger gave her love. And that kind of helped her turn her life around. She was a heroin addict for a long time, but she broke her addiction. Underneath everything she was a really sweet, funny girl. And she's still that kind of girl." "It does sound like you have amazing friends!" Angel nodded and smiled. "I really do! I feel really lucky, and I love them all!" The four women looked at each other and smiled. "So we've all been through the ups and downs of life." Angel said quietly. "And yet we all survived." Glinda said. Christine and Cosette nodded. Then they all smiled at each other again. The four of them were standing in a small circle in the center of the room. Glinda put her left arm around Christine, and her right arm around Angel. Christine put her left arm around Cosette, and her right arm around Glinda. Cosette put her left arm around Angel, and her right arm around Christine. And Angel put her left arm aurum Glinda, and he right arm around Cosette. They hugged each other tightly, giggling slightly. But then, suddenly, everything went black, and they were sent home to their own friends and family…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_If you haven't noticed the pattern yet, we're in this same room for the fifth time now, except now we see eight men. There's three men in the lower, left-hand corner, two men in the upper, left-hand corner, one man in the upper, right-hand corner, and two men in the lower, right-hand corner. Two of the men in the lower, left-hand corner have white skin, and the other man has black skin. The two men in the upper, left-hand corner have white skin, and so do the men in the upper and lower, right-hand corners. All three men in the lower, left-hand corner look to be in their twenties, one man in the upper, left-hand corner looks to be about nineteen and the other man looks to be about eighteen, the man in the upper, right-hand corner looks to be in his early twenties, and one of the men in the lower, right-hand corner looks to be in his fifties, and the last man looks to be in his early twenties. The man with black skin is bald, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, button-up shirt, a sleeve-less, black and white vest, a long-sleeved, black leather jacket, a brown belt, tan jeans, and light brown dress shoes. The man on his left has short, blonde hair, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, maroon shirt with a gray stripe around his waist and with gray sleeves (with a single maroon stripe around each sleeve), and a gray collar, long, brown jeans, black sneakers, a long-sleeved, tan jacket, and a black and gray striped scarf. The other man has short, dirty-blonde hair, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, brown shirt, a long-sleeved, blue and white flannel jacket, a long-sleeved, black leather jacket, blue jeans, black sneakers, and a shark-tooth necklace. Both men in the upper, left-hand corner have short, brown hair. The older boy is wearing a long-sleeved, green and gold checked shirt, long green pants with a single gold stripe running down each leg, and tall, black boots that are covered by his pants. And the younger boy is wearing a long-sleeved, gray, button-up jacket with a collar and cuffs, short, gray pants, white tights, and black dress shoes. A gray hat is lying on the floor next to him. The man in the upper, right-hand corner has short, brown hair, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, white shirt with a lace collar, a long-sleeved, blue evening jacket, and black dress shoes. And one of the men in the lower, left-hand corner has long, brown hair that's pulled back into a pony-tail with a blue silk ribbon, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, dark blue shirt, a long-sleeved, dark blue, button-up jacket with silver buttons, long, dark blue slacks, and black boots. A black top hat is lying on the floor next to him. And the other man has short, brown hair, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, gray dress shirt with a collar, a long-sleeved, black tuxedo jacket, a black cravat, black slacks, and tall, black boots. All eight men slowly begin to stir and open their eyes… The man with black skin has brown eyes, the man on his left ahs brown eyes, and the other man has brown eyes. The man in the green and gold uniform has blue eyes, and the man next to him has gray eyes. The man who's by himself has blue eyes. And the man with the top hat has gray eyes, and the other man has brown eyes. They all stare at each other in horrified silence for several minutes, and then the man in the top hat steps forward and breaks the silence…_

"Who are you all?" he demanded, surveying each face, his eyes as cold as ice. The black man stepped forward. "My name's Benjamin Coffin III, although, all my friends call me 'Benny'. And this is Mark Cohen," He gestured to the man on his left, who nodded once. "And this is Roger Davis." He gestured to the man on his right, who also nodded once. The man turned to the men in the upper, left-hand corner. "And you two are…?" The man in the gold and green uniform stepped forward. "My name is Fiyero Tiggular. And this is Boq." The other man stepped forward and nodded once. The man then turned to the man in the upper, right-hand corner. "And you?" "Raoul de Chagny." "And who are you?" Mark asked. The man drew himself up to his full height and said with authority, "Inspector Javert." "And I'm Marius Pontmercy." the other man said, also stepping forward. "Where are you guys from?" Fiyero asked. "I'm from Paris, France." Raoul replied. Javert raised his eyebrows. "Really?" Raoul nodded. "We're from Paris too." Marius said. "Really?" Javert and Marius nodded. "That's interesting." Raoul said. "It is." Marius said, and Javert nodded again. Then, turning to the group of three, Javert asked, "Where are you guys from?" "We're all from New York City." Roger said. "Where are you two from?" Benny asked, looking at Fiyero and Boq. Fiyero and Boq looked at each other. Then they looked back at the others and said, "We're from Oz." The others were silent for several seconds, and then Javert let out a low growl. "Do you take us for fools, gentlemen?" "Not at all Javert." Boq said. "Then I suggest you tell us where you're really from." Fiyero and Boq looked at each other again. Then they looked back at the other six. "We really are from Oz." Fiyero said, glaring at Javert. "It's not a fictional place, as many people believe." "What part of Oz are you from?" Roger asked. "Winkie Country." Fiyero said without hesitation. "Munchkinland." Boq said, also without hesitation. Mark and Roger looked at each other, and Mark raised his eyebrows. Roger just shrugged. Then the two of them walked half-way across the room, extended their hands, and waited patiently for Fiyero and Boq to come forward and shake their hands. Fiyero and Boq looked at each other, and then went and shook hands with Mark and Roger. The group of four turned as Benny, smiling slightly, came forward and extended his hand. Fiyero and Boq smiled back at him reassuringly and shook hands with him. Seeing the others' warm reception of each other, Raoul stepped forward confidently and shook hands with the other five men. Then they all turned to look at Javert and Marius, who hasn't moved an inch from their corner. "Come on you two!" Benny said with a grin. "We don't bite! I promise!" Marius grinned, stepped around Javert, and went and shook hands with the others. Then they all turned back to Javert, who was looking suspiciously back at them. "Oh come on Javert!" Marius said in a tone of pure exasperation. Javert glared at him, but hesitantly stepped forward and extended his hand. Raoul shook his hand, and then Mark, Roger, and Benny. Javert then turned to Fiyero and Boq, and shook hands with them too, even though there was still distrust flickering in his gray eyes. "So you work for the police then, Javert?" Fiyero asked. Javert nodded. "Yes. In all my years of service, there was only one guilty man who went free on my watch…" Javert scowled, the memory of that obviously still haunting him. "Why do you ask?" "I'm in the army." Fiyero replied. "I work for The Wizard, the man who runs Oz. We've been searching for a green-skinned witch who defied The Wizard for two years now, but we still haven't found her. So, believe me, I understand your frustration, Inspector." Javert snorted. "Two years!? That's nothing! I've been searching for Jean Valjean, a convict who broke his parole and escaped, for ten years!" The others gaped at him (even Marius). "Ten years!?" Roger asked incredulously. "Are you serious?" Javert nodded. "Why?" Mark asked. "I mean, what did he go to jail for in the first place?" Javert answered, "He earned five years for breaking into a house and stealing a loaf of bread, and he earned another fourteen years for trying to escape so many times." All of them except Marius continued to gape at him. "Five years just for stealing a loaf of bread!?" Boq asked, apparently appalled. Javert nodded, drawing himself up to his full height once more. "That's insane!" Benny said. "Why would you put someone in jail for that long for something that insignificant? Why would you ruin someone's life like that?" Javert opened his mouth to reply angrily, but Mark and Roger cut him off, glaring at Benny. "You're one to talk!" Roger snarled. "You called the cops on Maureen's protest just because you didn't want her to stop you developing in New York City! _And_ you were going to evict hundreds of people from their homes for nothing!" Mark snapped. Benny opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. Finally he closed his mouth and just glared at Mark and Roger. "I don't get it either." Raoul said. "There are good reasons for hunting down a man, and there are bad reasons for hunting down a man. And hunting down a man for stealing a loaf of bread and breaking his parole is a bad reason." Javert let out a low growl. "And what, monsieur, do you think would be a good reason?" "If the man you were hunting had murdered hundreds of people for no reason, had tried to kill you, and had kidnapped your fiancé." The others gaped at him, at a loss for words. Finally Javert said hoarsely, "Yes, I suppose that would be a good reason! Did that happen to you?" Raoul nodded, anger flashing in his blue eyes. "The man's name was Erik Destler. He lived in the cellars of the Paris Opera House, and he fell in love with my fiancé, Christine Daae. He was crazy and tried to seduce Christine and kill me, and so I planned to have him arrested. But that Devil got wind of our plan and kidnapped Christine. I went after them, and Erik tried to kill me again. But Christine finally convinced him to let us go. He did, but then he escaped…" "So you understand as well." Javert said. Raoul nodded, his hands balled into fists. "Erik claimed he had a sudden change of heart, although I doubt it…" Javert snarled. "As did Valjean. He became the mayor of the town where I was working, and I finally discovered who he really was. We confronted each other, moments after one of his factory girls died, and he said that he had to rescue her daughter. We fought, and he knocked me out cold. And now he's gone, and I may never find him again…" There was deep self-loathing in his voice, as well as deep frustration. Boq gave him a sympathetic look. "I know how you feel Javert." Javert raised his eyebrows. "You do?" Boq nodded. "I know the girl that Fiyero has been looking for. I'm her sister's slave. She's stripped all of the Munchkins of our rights. She's as wicked as her sister! And when the green girl came back to visit her sister, she tried to kill me. I escaped and went for help, but the witch escaped too…" Boq's tone was extremely angry and bitter. Turning suddenly to Fiyero, he said, "I hope you find her Fiyero! I hope she pays for what she's done!" "So do I, Boq!" Fiyero said. "And what exactly is wrong with rebelling?" Mark asked sharply. Javert, Raoul, Fiyero, and Boq looked at him as though he was crazy. "You can't be serious!" Javert growled. "But I am." Mark said sharply. "If someone is rejected by the world, and they rebel against the world, you can't put them in prison for that!" "Sometimes rebellion brings about positive change!" Roger agreed. "And maybe someone does break the law. But if things get better in the end, why does it matter? And for your information, Javert, Raoul, Fiyero, and Boq, people _can_ change!" Marius nodded in agreement. "Yes they can. I've changed. I used to hate my father-in-law because he's an ex-convict. But I knew he cared about me and my wife, Cosette, whom he rescued from a life of poverty, and adopted as his daughter. Even if he _is_ the man you speak of, Javert!" Javert turned to him sharply, his eyes wide. "_What!?_" he whispered, gaping at Marius. "Valjean found the girl he was looking for, and he adopted her. She and I met, and fell in love. And now we're married." "He couldn't have changed!" Javert snarled. Marius's eyes flashed dangerously. "He could, Javert, and he did! He's a God-fearing, law-abiding man, and he rescued _both_ of us from the barricade!" Javert started and paled. He knew Marius's words were true, and he couldn't deny it. There were several tense minuets of silence, and then Benny said quietly. "We've all suffered hardships." The others turned to look at him. "And yet we've all persevered." he continued. The other seven nodded. And then, for the first time since they had shaken hands, they all smiled tentatively at each other. Even Javert. At this point, they were all standing in a circle, near the center of the room. Benny reached out and put his left arm around Mark, and his right arm around Roger. Mark put his left arm around Fiyero, and his right arm around Benny. Fiyero put his left arm around Boq, and his right arm around Mark. Boq put his left arm around Raoul, and his right arm around Fiyero. Raoul put his left arm around Javert, and his right arm around Boq. Javert put his left arm around Marius, and his right arm around Raoul. Marius put his left arm around Roger, and his right arm around Javert. And Roger put his left arm around Benny, and his right arm around Marius. They hugged each other for a couple minutes, and then, suddenly, everything went black, and each group was sent back to their own stories…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Guess where we are… It's that same room (for the sixth time). But now it contains two men. The man against the left-hand wall is unconscious, has white skin, and looks to be in his twenties. And the man against the right-hand wall is also unconscious, has caramel-colored skin, and also looks to be in his twenties. The man against the left-hand wall has short, brown hair, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, puffy, white shirt with a collar, a sleeve-less gold and red vest with gold buttons, long, black slacks, and black dress shoes. And a red scarf is tied around his waist. And the man against the right-hand wall has short, black hair and a beard, and he's wearing a long-sleeved, light blue shirt, a long-sleeved, dark blue and black flannel shirt, a long-sleeved, black and maroon flannel shirt, a gold, sleeve-less vest, long, dark jeans, and white tennis shoes. The two men slowly revive and open their eyes… Both men have brown eyes. They slowly stand up and look at each other in a mixture of fear and curiosity. Then, finally, after several seconds, the man on the left breaks the silence…_

"What's your name, Monsieur?" he asked. "Collins." the other man replied. "Tom Collins. And what's your name?" "Enjolras." Enjolras stepped forward and extended his hand to Collins. Collins also stepped forward, and shook hands with Enjolras. "Where are you from Enjolras?" "Paris, France. You?" "New York City, New York." "Ah." Enjolras nodded. "Rough place, isn't it?" Collins nodded. "Very. However, if you left, you'd miss the city before you got very far!" Enjolras smiled. "I know what you mean. That's how I feel about Paris!" "I have lots of friends in New York City, too, and I cold never leave them." "I understand that too. I have friends in Paris that I would hate to leave." "Tell me about them." "My best friend would probably be Marius Pontmercy. I've known him for a long time, and he and I have been planning a revolution together. And then there's Eponine Thénardier. She's a street urchin who was abandoned by her parents, and who has been in love with Marius for a while now. Although he never notices… And then there's Cosette, Marius's girlfriend, Jean Valjean, Cosette's father, and Gavroche Thénardier, Eponine's little bother, who was also abandoned by their parents and lives on the streets. What about your friends?" "Well, there's my girlfriend, Angel Dumott Schunard, my three ex-roommates, Mark Cohen, Roger Davis, and Maureen Johnson, Roger's girlfriend, Mimi Márquez, and Maureen's girlfriend, Joanne Jefferson." "That's nice." "Yeah. I'm glad to have such great friends!" "As am I." "And you and Marius are starting a revolution?" Enjolras nodded. "Yes. And we're having help from our other friends, and lots of other young University students who also want to see change happen." "What kind of changes are you hoping to make?" "There are hundred of poor people in France, particularly in Paris, and the government ignores them all and won't do anything to help. We're fighting for equal rights for everyone and to help the common people of France." Collins grinned. "That's a noble cause! And very similar to what Maureen and I are fighting for. There are hundreds of poor people in New York City, and the cops bully them in the streets, and one of my other old roommates, Benjamin Coffin III (although we all call him 'Benny'), is trying to wipe out an entire tent city, just so he can build some sort of studio. Plus, he took away Maureen's performance space, and he's trying to evict Mark and Roger from their apartment because they're too poor to pay the rent. And when Maureen had a protest about all of it, Benny called the cops and had dozens of people arrested. So he's making Maureen's and my fight against poverty pretty difficult. Also, Mark, Roger, Angel, Maureen, Joanne, Mimi, and I are trying to help gays and lesbians, as well as people with HIV and AIDS. People like me…" Collins trailed off quietly, looking at Enjolras. "You have AIDS?" Enjolras asked. Collins nodded. "I assume you've heard of it, then?" Enjolras nodded. "Yes, I have. And I'm sorry." Collins shrugged. "It's alright. It's not as bad as most people think. Once you get over the shock, anyway." Enjolras nodded again. "Do any of your friends have it?" Collins nodded. "Yes. Angel actually has AIDS, but Roger and Mimi have HIV." "I'm sorry Collins." Enjolras said quietly. "Is there a cure?" Collins shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. However, there's a medicine, called AZT, that we all take, and it helps hold off the disease." Enjolras nodded once more, and gave Collins a look of deep sympathy. "Like I said, though," Collins continued. "it's not so bad. And I have all of my friends to support me, plus a small group of other New Yorkers who have it (and who call themselves 'Life Support'), so it's alright." Collins grinned, and Enjolras smiled back. They were silent for a minute or two. Then Enjolras asked, "What's it like Collins?" Collins raised his eyebrows slightly. "What's what like?" Enjolras blushed slightly. "Well… You know… Having a girlfriend…" Enjolras went scarlet, and he couldn't look Collins in the eye. Collins gaped at him. "You mean you've never had a girlfriend?" Enjolras shook his head, blushing deeper. "Why not?" Collins asked, pretending not to notice Enjolras's embarrassment. Enjolras shrugged slightly, then said, "I'm planning a revolution. Women get in the way of things like that. Marius and Cosette are prime examples of that!" "What do you mean?" Enjolras shook his head. "After Marius met Cosette, it took me weeks to get him focused on the revolution again. However, I can't complain because Jean Valjean has proved very helpful to our cause." Collins nodded. "But you've still never held a woman's hand, or made an attempt at flirting, or took a woman to dinner? Or held a woman in your arms? Or took a woman to bed with you?" Enjolras blushed deeply, shaking his head once more. Collins shook his head. "How a man can go his entire life without the touch of woman, I don't understand!" "You can't miss, or long for, something you've never felt." Enjolras said logically. Collins merely grunted, reluctant agreement on his face. Another silence ensued. "Well," Enjolras finally said quietly. "I hope you're able to help save those poor people from being evicted!" Collins nodded. "And I hope your government decides to help the poor people in your country!" Enjolras nodded too, and then they smiled at each other. Then the two men hugged each other tightly. And then, suddenly, everything went black, and the two were sent back to their own stories and their own revolutions…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_We see the same room for the seventh, and final, time. And now it contains one woman and three men. One of them men is lying unconscious against the front wall, and the other two men and the woman are lying unconscious against the back wall. All four of them have white skin, although it's hard to tell that about the man in the front because he's covered in dirt. The boy against the front wall looks to be about sixteen, the woman against the back wall looks to be in her thirties, and so does the man on her left, and the man on her right looks to be in his fifties. The man at the front has short, brown hair, and he's wearing a ragged, short-sleeved, gray shirt, a red bandana that's tied around his neck, long, black slacks, and brown, flat-soled shoes. A brown cap is lying on the floor next to him. The woman in the back has short, very curly, dark red hair, and she has on lots of make-up. She's wearing a long-sleeved, pink dress with a full skirt, and with flowers and frills on the hem, dark pink gloves, a huge, furry, pink shawl, and pink high heels. A huge, pink, circular hat with tall, green feathers and white lace on the bottom is lying on the floor next to her. The man on her left has short, black hair, and he has a short beard. He's wearing a long-sleeved, black shirt, long, black slacks, a red stole, and black dress shoes. And the man on the woman's right has short, dirty, blonde hair, and a beard and a mustache. He's wearing a long-sleeved, red shirt with a collar, a sleeve-less, brown vest, long, brown slacks, and black boots. The four slowly start to stir, and then open their eyes… The man against the front wall has brown eyes, and so do the three against the back wall. They stare at each other in horrified silence for several seconds, and then the boy at the front breaks the silence…_

"'Oo the 'ell are you three?" he asked, glaring at the three against the back wall. None of them answered, but continued to look at him like he was a clump of mud that was letting off a very disgusting odor. They were silent for several more seconds, and then the boy demanded once more, "'Oo are you three?" Again, no one answered him, but the woman turned to the man on her left and said in a very thick, Spanish accent, "Piangi, where are we?" The man named Piangi looked at her and said, "I have no idea Carlotta." "Well what happened? How did we get from the Opera House to here! And where are we?" "I don't know Carlotta!" the man snapped. Carlotta sniffed distastefully, pulled her shawl tighter around herself, and turned away from Piangi. The man on Carlotta's right was now looking at the boy, and the boy was glaring defiantly back at him. Then, to everyone's surprise, the man stepped forward and extended his right hand to the boy. "I'm Joseph Buquet." The boy glared at Buquet for several more seconds, and then he stepped forward, shook Buquet's hand, and said, "I'm Gavroche Thénardier." He was smirking. "Buquet are you crazy?" Carlotta whispered, her voice full of fear. Piangi was looking at him as though he were mad. "What?" Buquet snarled. "He's only a little boy!" Gavroche laughed coldly. Buquet, Carlotta, and Piangi all turned to look at him. "'Only a little boy'!?" Gavroche repeated. He was sneering. "I'll have you know," he continued, glaring at Buquet. "little people are stronger, faster, and smarter than most people give us credit for! So don't you dare judge me until you've seen what I can do!" "And what exactly _can_ you do?" Carlotta asked coldly. She was sneering now too. Gavroche smirked widely and drew himself up to his full height (which wasn't very tall). "I've lived on the streets my whole life, so I'm very street smart. I'm good at stealing food and money without being caught, and I know my way around even in the dark! And I'm a good fighter!" Carlotta burst out laughing. Gavroche glared at her. "And what can _you_ do?" he snarled. "Me?" Carlotta said. "What can _I_ do? My dear little boy, do you not know who I am!?" "Who are you?" Gavroche snarled. Carlotta stopped laughing. She and Piangi looked at Gavroche in shock. Or rather, Piangi merely looked shocked. Carlotta, however, looked as though Gavroche had slapped her. "Gavroche Thénardier," she said with a sneer. "my name is Carlotta Giudicelli. I'm the most celebrated and popular Soprano at the Opera Populaire in Paris! I assume you know what that is? But, then again, maybe not…" Gavroche's eyes narrowed angrily, and he glared at Carlotta. "I _do_ know what the Opera Populaire is, thank you very much!" he snarled. I've just never heard of _you_! However, I _have_ heard of the young, beautiful Christine Daae!" Gavroche grinned. Carlotta exploded. "Of course!" she snapped. "Of course you've heard of Christine and not me! Of course you've heard of Christine! Everyone in Paris has now! She and her lover are plotting against me! Aren't they Piangi?" She turned to her companion, who nodded. Carlotta turned back to Gavroche and continued her rant. "I'm by far the best! The only reason everyone loves her is because she's young and beautiful! And she's sleeping with our patron, the young, handsome, and charming Vicomte, Raoul de Chagny!" Gavroche smirked. "I agree with you on one thing: Christine _is_ beautiful! She's very beautiful! Much more beautiful than you!" Carlotta snarled. But it was Piangi who spoke. He stepped forward, glaring at Gavroche with all the loathing in the world in his eyes, and said, "Now see here, Gavroche Thénardier! I won't have you insulting my lady like this!" "Your _lady_!?" Gavroche said, his smirk widening. "You mean, you two are lovers!?" "Yes!" Carlotta snapped, taking Piangi's hand. "Ubaldo and I are lovers in every sense of the word!" Gavroche snorted with laughter. "What?" Piangi snarled, glaring at Gavroche. "Ubaldo!?" Gavroche repeated, almost choking with laughter. "That's your _name_!?" Piangi and Carlotta both snarled. "Yes it is!" Piangi snapped. "And I would thank you not to make fun of it! And, besides, what about _your_ name? 'Gavroche'. What kind of a name is _that_?" The laughter died on Gavroche's face, and he scowled. Buquet, Carlotta, and Piangi all smirked at him. However, Piangi's smirk seemed more triumphant than Carlotta's or Buquet's. "At least my name's more pleasant-sounding than yours!" Gavroche said coldly. "People who know me say my name with the utmost respect! And people definitely respect me now because I've been helping my friends fight a revolution!" Carlotta laughed coldly. "And you think that helping with a revolution makes up for having a weird name?" Gavroche nodded vigorously. "I know it can!" he replied in that same cold voice. "I'm small enough that I can sneak behind enemy lines without being caught, and I can bring back my friends news of our enemy's plans. And I'm fast enough that I can leave the barricade and dodge any bullets that the enemy fires at me or my friends, and I can get us more ammunition. And besides," he threw at Carlotta, who was still laughing. "I'd like to see how _you'd_ fare in a revolution!" The laughter died on Carlotta's face, and Gavroche smirked, triumphant once more. Not one of the three made a reply to Gavroche's statement for several minutes, but just continued to glare at him with mounting dislike. Finally Buquet said in a cold but calm voice, "And why would Carlotta _want_ to fight a revolution? She's mostly content with her life. And fighting a revolution would be a man's place, not a woman's. And if you're so keen on picking on people, why don't you leave them alone and try me for a change?" Buquet's eyes were cold and narrow, and he was glaring at Gavroche. Gavroche looked Buquet up and down, as thought he was sizing him up. As though he was deciding whether or not he dare take Buquet up on his offer. Finally he smirked and said, "You seem to think that I should be afraid of you, Buquet. But why should I be? You're nothing but a caveman!" Buquet snarled coldly. Gavroche laughed. "A caveman, am I?" Buquet growled, advancing a few steps towards Gavroche, who didn't retreat. "That's what I said!" Gavroche replied with a sneer. Buquet flashed him a nasty grin. "If I'm a caveman, Thénardier, then I'm strong." There was a mad gleam in Buquet's eyes now, and Gavroche was starting to feel slightly nervous. But he refused to show it, and said bravely, "So?" "So that means I'm strong enough to kill you." Gavroche clenched his fists and barred his teeth. "I'd like to see you try and kill me." he growled. Buquet laughed, continuing to advance towards Gavroche, who continued to stay put. It was a cold, merciless laugh. "Oh I could kill you very easily Thénardier." Buquet replied. "Very easily." "Yeah," Gavroche growled. "And you can get that ugly cow to help you!" Carlotta and Piangi snarled. Gavroche lowered himself slightly, ready to jump at Buquet. There was a moment of tense silence, and then Buquet, Carlotta, Piangi, and Gavroche all leapt at each other… But before any of them could reach their prey, everything suddenly went black, and they were all whisked away, back to their own stories…


End file.
